The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-03-10

The singer simple love songs swell,
And In the old town seem part
OF every home and every heart.
SUSAN HARTLEY.
POLYTE.
Translated from the French for Thu
Graphic.
A happy home that OF the sigualts
the husband John, q sober work
man, his wife Theresa, gentle and
honest. To complete the family an
urchin nine years of age. Monsieur
PoIyte-a very devil, said his father
and with that always the first in
school.
John Sigault was skillful moulder
Theresa was known as the most taste
full milliner of Montmartre.
All that little world lived without
any other. care but the future of Mon
sieur Polyte. Father and moth
er prepared to drain themselves
when that would become neces.
sary, as Polyte had already shown
some inclination towards the
learning of an an art whose apprentice
ship costs great deal. John had a
friend named Robert, a stone cutter
employed in the studio of a accelerated
sculptor. The child had teen admitted
in the contemplation of the world-re'
nowned artist, of whom the two
workmen spoke as a demigod. At
first Monsieur Polyte was inundated;
then he familiarized himself when he
saw the great man. Nothing was less
imposing than this short old fellow,
wearing a blouse abominably macu-
lated, occupying himself in the make
ing OF small balls of sticky clay with
his clammy fingers. This cry escaped
from the heart escaped from the lips
of the Partisan gamin:" Papa! when
am big I will be a sculptor, because
that at least is dirty"
The members of the Institute de
France, who was a kind of wag, declar-
ed that this exclamation might pass
for an unequivocal manifestation OF
an artists vocation. The good par
ents did not 60 further.
From this memorable day, when
Theresa had to work late in cutting,
repairing, and washing the clothes and
linen of "her men" shesaid to the boy,
"All right now, only when l cannot
work any more, Monsieur, the sculptor,
it is you who shall work for me.
Then from an early period Polyte
was taught that the destinies of his
family would rest one day entirely on
his conduct and labor.
Besides, John Sigault had been a
soldier and his moral education OF
his child bore marks of his military life.
Early he took care to develop the
sentiment of responsibility in his son
by making him believe that, in so me
time to come, he would have to sup
port his parents.
So it was, when the moulder left
Theresa alone in the house, he said
to Polyte, "Boy, am going out and
place mamma under your protection;
you stand sentinel!
And Polyte, honored with such
high confidence, would have allowed
any one to make mince meat of him
rather than 90 out and play with the
other urchins OF the neighborhood.
Those humble people. SO quiet, so
loving, 80 united, were too happy.
That could not last long.
The 10Th of July, 1870, the declara-
ton of war to Germany was published
in Paris. From that day John was
not the same man. That model of a
workman, having absolutely nothing
to do in the shop, expended his whole
time in the reading of newspapers.
One evening he came home pale with
rage. The Germans were in sight OF
Paris!
During the following night he had
the fever-a patriotic one. His de-
spair broke out into terrific invectives
against his egotism of a happy hus-
band and timorous father; so much
that Theresa, although she hal moth.
ing of q heroine in her, ended by pla-
giarizing that famous phrase, "And
now, go to fight"
And he went.
In few days he had won again his
sergeant's stripes. One morning he
paid a visit to his wife and child. He
was mad with Joy. His colonel has
granted him a twelve hours furlough
and given him the military medal
awarded to the sergeant by the Re.
public for the bravery he had display
ed in the several encounters with
the Germans. He could not get q
twenty-four hours leave of absence
because his regiment had to make a
sortie on the following night. Friend
Robert, the stone cutter, called upon
John to present him with his con-
gratulations for the honor that he
had received from the Government.
He offered to watch over the SER
eeant's house during his absence.
John, who knew the parsonage as un-
fit to watch over any ones house, re.
piled smiling:
"Many thanks. have here a rigid
sentinel; is that not true, Polyte?"
"Of course" answered that embryo
of a man, with the inimitable accent
of the poisson OF Paris and raising
himself on the point of his feet.
Yes, he was to be rigid sentinel. the
poor child, as from this day nothing
was heard of John Sigault in the
modest apartment of Montmartre.
After that sortie the squad of the
brave sergeant had returned without
their chief; killed or taken during the
battle they would not say-in any
case he was missing.
Since the month OF March, 1871,
poverty had stricken hard the home
previously so contented. The slowly
gathered resources had foundered
quickly. Theresa, worn out by dis
quietude and privations, fell sick, and
the terrible days of the Commune
happening unexpectedly the situation
of the mother and child became very
critical.
The young one did not COMPLAIN